SOWELA Technical Community College
Lake Charles, LA · Public · offers Associate's degrees
—Acceptance rate
$7,525Average net price / year
43%Graduation rate
$32,303Median earnings 10 yrs after entry
—Median debt at graduation
2,966Undergraduates
Cost
- In-state tuition & fees
- $4,305
- Total cost of attendance
- $15,578
- Books & supplies
- $1,353
- Average net price
- $7,525
Net price by family income
- $0–30k
- $7,439
- $30–48k
- $6,864
- $48–75k
- $8,411
- $75–110k
- $8,407
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- —
Outcomes
- Graduation rate
- 43%
- First-year retention
- 59%
- Median earnings (6 yrs)
- $32,044
- Median earnings (10 yrs)
- $32,303
- Median debt (graduates)
- —
- 3-year loan default rate
- 0.0%
- Students with Pell grants
- 46%
- Students with federal loans
- 0%
Programs: what graduates earn
12 of 42 programs have published earnings or debt data. Earnings are median salaries of graduates one year after completing the program (or the latest available year).
Undergraduate certificate
| Program | Graduates | Earnings | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants | 55 | $43,365 | — |
| Electrical and Power Transmission Installers | 265 | $63,577 | — |
Associate's degree
| Program | Graduates | Earnings | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians | 89 | $75,239 | — |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 44 | $72,690 | — |
| Electrical and Power Transmission Installers | 92 | $52,083 | — |
| Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians | 82 | $51,912 | — |
| Business/Commerce, General | 34 | $31,941 | — |
| Accounting and Related Services | 14 | $31,019 | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 20 | $30,360 | — |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 18 | $23,832 | — |
| Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians | 13 | $55,019 | — |
| Business Operations Support and Assistant Services | 5 | $18,811 | — |
Students
- Undergraduates
- 2,966
- Part-time
- 40%
- Women / men
- 52% / 48%
- White
- 63%
- Hispanic
- 5%
- Black
- 23%
- Asian
- 1%
- International
- 1%
Faculty & school
- Student–faculty ratio
- 19:1
- Avg faculty salary
- $54,459 / year
- Full-time faculty
- 64%
- Accreditor
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
- Website
- www.sowela.edu
- Also known as
- SOWELA
Most popular fields
- Agriculture – 3% of degrees
- Computer & Information Sciences – 5% of degrees
- Personal & Culinary Services – 5% of degrees
- Engineering Technologies – 27% of degrees
- Liberal Arts & General Studies – 10% of degrees
- Science Technologies – 1% of degrees
Frequently asked questions
How much does SOWELA Technical Community College cost?
The average net price after grants is $7,525 per year; in-state tuition and fees are $4,305 and the full cost of attendance is $15,578.
How much do SOWELA Technical Community College graduates earn?
Students who enrolled earn a median of $32,303 ten years later. See the program table above for salaries by major.
What is the graduation rate?
43% of first-time, full-time students graduate within 150% of normal time.
Other colleges in Lake Charles
| College | Net price | Acceptance | Graduation | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McNeese State University Lake Charles, LA · Public · 5,005 students |
$12,493 | 78% | 47% | $46,453 |
| Delta College West Lake Charles, LA · Private for-profit · 78 students |
$18,360 | — | 29% | — |
| Stage One-The Hair School Lake Charles, LA · Private for-profit · 66 students |
$11,916 | — | 72% | $17,390 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, June 2026 release.